Why Emails Go to Spam: Understanding and Prevention

Emails ending up in the spam folder can be a significant issue for both individuals and businesses, affecting communication efficiency and marketing effectiveness. Understanding the reasons behind this can help in taking appropriate measures to ensure that important emails reach their intended recipients. This article explores the common reasons why emails go to spam and provides strategies for prevention.

Common Reasons Emails Go to Spam

1. Spammy Content

Certain keywords and phrases are commonly associated with spam. Overuse of words like "free," "guarantee," "test" or excessive use of exclamation marks can trigger spam filters. Make sure that the email you're sending doesn't look "spammy".

2. Lack of Authentication

Email authentication methods like SPF (Sender Policy Framework), DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail), and DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) help verify the sender's identity. Missing or incorrect authentication records increase the likelihood of emails being marked as spam. You can read this article to learn more about these email authentication methods. To test that all the correct records are in place, you can send an email from your hosted email address to the email address specified on screen at Mail-Tester. You can also make use of the SPF, DKIM and DMARC tools by MXToolbox by selecting any of those options from the dropdown next to the search box.

3. Recipient Behavior

If recipients consistently do not engage with an email (by opening, reading, or clicking links), email services might learn to filter those emails into spam, assuming they're unwanted.

4. Inconsistent Sending Patterns

Sending large volumes of email inconsistently can trigger spam filters, as this behavior is often associated with spam campaigns.

5. Emails Marked as Spam by Users

When users frequently mark an email as spam, this signals email providers that future emails from that sender may be unwanted.

6 Misleading Subject Lines

Subject lines that are misleading or deceptive are a common reason for emails being flagged as spam.

7. Low Engagement Rates

Low open and click-through rates can affect sender reputation, as they indicate to ISPs that recipients are not interested in the content.

8. Poor List Hygiene

Sending to old, inactive, or purchased email lists can result in high bounce rates and complaints, which negatively affect sender reputation.

Updated on: 13/02/2024